Panera Bread in Atascocita undergoes remodel

Published 12:08 pm, Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Crews work together to complete the first phase of the remodel at the Panera Bread restaurant location in Atascocita.

Crews work together to complete the first phase of the remodel at the Panera Bread restaurant location in Atascocita.

Panera Bread in Atascocita undergoes remodel

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For the past 10 years, the Panera Bread location in Atascocita has welcomed thousands and thousands of customers, served thousands bakery items and sandwiches and has served as a special spot for many residents in the area.

On the heels of their 10 year anniversary, the restaurant is undergoing a makeover which will include new carpet and furniture in the first phase and a revamp of the bakery and kitchen areas.

“In February, we celebrated our 10-year anniversary,” Keith Isbell, Panera Bread owner/operator said. “We contemplated the idea of possibly moving to another location in order to add a free-standing drive-thru, but we couldn’t find a location that was as great as where we are currently located.

“We recently signed a five-year lease at this Atascocita location and thought, we have a lot of great regular customers and we owe it to them to renovate and remodel the restaurant.”

They plan to make the Atascocita Panera Bread more state-of-the-art in regards to the carpeting, furniture and the bakery area featuring the latest and greatest.

The second part of the remodel will focus on the kitchen area where they will close it off from the dining area which will make it quieter and allow for the kitchen employees to carry on with their duties without worrying about bothering the customers.

“This is an exciting remodel because this is the community I live in and the restaurant where my friends, neighbors and family to eat,” Isbell said.

This will be the first Panera Bread in the area to undergo a remodel as Isbell plans to renovate and revamp the Panera Bread restaurants in several other locations throughout the Houston area.

Isbell has already received positive comments from a few of his regular customers and is excited to see how it continues to develop as the remodel moves forward.

In 2016, Panera Bread will add a few new features to their stores including rapid pick-up where the customer can place an order on their phone then pick it up at a designated counter when it’s ready.

Also, they plan to install kiosks where the customer can plan their order then it will be delivered to their table when it is made.

“I remember back to when we first opened, my daughter was a part of the Weekday Learning Center and they would take tours of the restaurant; that’s something we still do today,” Isbell said. “When we first opened, one of my children was first starting elementary school and the other was in pre-school. Now, one is in middle school and the other is in high school so the time flies.

“We’ve always given back to the community and schools as much as we can; that’s something we will continue and look forward to doing.”